Citrus Bowl Execs Hope 'Star Trek Iv' Aids Usc

November 27, 1986|By Larry Guest of the Sentinel Staff

Most college football teams go to a theater the night before games. The Citrus Bowl-bound Southern Cal Trojans go to a studio. The president of Paramount Studios is an SC man and arranges a private screening for the team each Friday night before home games, sometimes with a few encouraging words from the film's star. This week the Trojans will see Star Trek IV on the eve of their game with Notre Dame. Citrus Bowl officials are hoping that film works better than Crocodile Dundee, which the Trojans watched before getting pounded, 45-25, last week by UCLA. . . . The notion here is if Trojans couldn't tackle UCLA's Gaston Green (4 TDs, 224 yards), they'll have even more trouble with Auburn's Brent Fullwoood, who is better. . . . Citrus Bowl Zonies! promptly sold out all 3,400 tickets that were placed on sale early this week. First of the Zonies' weekly Friday Night Frenzies will be held this week at Cheyenne Saloon. . . . Fan overheard razzing CBS throat John Madden: ''Hey, John, if you got that way on Miller Lite, I'd hate to see you on Miller Heavy!'' . . . About 400 public tickets ($25) remain for the Shark Shootout, that Norman/Palmer/Nicklaus/Floyd exhibiton Dec. 7 at Grand Cyrpess to benefit Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital.

Hushell for Prez? Speaking to Rotary Bowl teams Orlando Evans and Lake Mary here last week, Dallas Cowboys exec Gil Brandt said Herschel Walker is such an upstanding, admirable sort he wouldn't be floored if one day the star running back became first black resident of the White House. . . . Brandt's talk had an antidrug theme and included Gil's opinion that ex-Gator linebacker Alonzo Johnson's drug problem probably cost him ''about $700,000 in signing bonus he would have gotten as a first-round pick.'' Most teams shied away from Johnson after he tested positive for four drugs during a leaguewide tryout camp last winter. The Eagles picked Johnson in the second round. ''I just hope Alonzo gets himself straightened out because he can become a truly great player,'' Brandt said. . . . Discouraged fans in Indianapolis are suggesting the nickname of their local NFL team is an acronym for ''Count On Loss This Sunday.'' . . . One noted oddsmaker in Vegas is predicting the opening line for Miami-Penn State will favor the Hurricanes by 8.

Hurry, hurry, step right up! CBS says its Super Bowl commercial spots, going for a mere $600,000 per 30 seconds, are 80 percent sold out. . . . Some of his comical Bears teammates say Chicago may put in a special offense for Doug Flutie -- the ''sawed-off shotgun.'' . . . Because he joined the team during the season, Rams new matinee idol/QB Jim Everett missed the usual training camp rookie harassment. During a recent team meal on the road in New Orleans, however, Everett said he narrowly escaped having to sing his college fight song. Jim recounts the crucial moment: ''I went back for seconds, and I sensed the guys were up to something. They started clanging on their water glasses. I put my tray down and was out the door before they realized what was happening. I ran down two flights of stairs, raced across the lobby and was on Canal Street in less than a minute. It was one of the best scrambles of my career.'' . . . Rams recently filmed a music video, ''Let's Ram It!,'' produced by the same company that made the Bears' video last year. The lyrics make no mention of the Super Bowl. . . . Pasta-loving Tom Lasorda, on losing his battle of the bulge: ''Ever notice vampires when they see a crucifix? That's the way I am when I see bathroom scales.''

INFALLIBLE FORECAST (Last week: 10 right, 5 arms sales; Season: 146-52, 74%) -- Florida State over Florida by 4, Miami over East Carolina by 183, Southern Cal over Notre Dame by 7, Alabama over Auburn by 4, FAMU over Bethune by 6, Texas A&M over Texas by 11, Georgia over Georgia Tech by 14, LSU over Tulane by 21, Tennessee over Vandy by 10, Dolphins over Falcons by 11, Vikings over Bucs by 10.

MY NEIGHBOR WOLFGANG sez after he married, the missus continued to whisper three little words, but they changed to, ''Let's eat out.''